Background
First of all, this is not a question about opinions. I am assuming that we are talking about Unity 3D and on a computer with decent graphics configuration. By "desktop environment", I am ...

I wonder, isn't there still an easy way to create a desktop shortcut in Ubuntu 14.04 (or Unity)? There is no context menu on desktop doing this.
So I tried the following: I looked for an app I want ...

In general what is the approach to switch the desktop environment or window manager on Ubuntu? The main difference between stock Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Lubuntu is supposedly the use of Unity vs. KDE vs. ...

My computer has 1GB ram and a very end low graphics card, but I don't know how much power it has.
Unity is very slow on my computer, and I saw that there are many desktop environments which are much ...

There are many derivatives to Ubuntu, of which Xubuntu is one, using XFCE as a desktop environment. One can install Xubuntu directly from an ISO or install XFCE as an alternative session on Ubuntu.
I ...

I have seen several youtube videos that are showing MATE (The Gnome 2.x fork) installed in 11.10. How can I install it to test it out in 11.10 and above.
If it helps the only sources I know of are:
...

I often come across the terms Unity and GNOME while reading about Ubuntu. I understand that Unity is the default desktop environment for Ubuntu. What is GNOME and how is it related to/different from ...

I would like to have some applications always appear in a specific workspace. For example: I would like my mp3 player on the bottom left workspace, and terminal application on the bottom right one;
I ...

I'm wondering why there are so many applications for the same purpose but for different desktop environments. Like the burning software Brasero for Gnome and K3B for KDE. Isn't this reinventing the ...

I like Ubuntu and I don't use Windows except at office but I have always felt that every thing in Ubuntu/Gnome is a bit bigger than it should be i.e the fonts, desktop icons, the window borders and ...

I am using Ubuntu 12.04. I want to try out KDE and other desktop environments.
But I'm not sure if I'll like them enough to switch permanently. I want to be safe and make a transition in a piecemeal ...

I have a 1GB RAM PC running Lubuntu. In Xubuntu is still ok, but in KDE and Unity it is not. (The condition of my PC appears clearly in this answer).
Compared to these DE-s, where stands Cinnamon? I ...

Is there a way to quick switch (preferably from command line) between one desktop environment to other; say, from Unity to classical GNOME without having to close any of the running applications in ...

I wanted to try out different desktop environments so I installed XFCE, KDE, GNOME, etc on top of Unity in Ubuntu 12.04
After a while I decided that I didn't like those other DEs and would stick to ...

Is there any program which can run a 'live wallpaper' like the ones in Android?
I've searched quite a bit but haven't found anything usable yet. anibg looks promising, but it is not working in 12.10.
...

If I am currently logged in to Unity, is there a way for me to switch my current session to Unity 2D or Gnome without logging out and in again? I know I can restart Unity by running unity --replace. ...

I've recently installed ubuntu-gnome-desktop on my Ubuntu 12.10 32 bit system. It all worked, but now I would like to remove it again, since I like Unity better. This includes undoing all changes like ...

I am in the midst of building my own Ubuntu gaming computer, and I was wondering:
If I used a variation of Ubuntu, such as Lubuntu, would more resources be put into the game(s), because the operating ...

The four main desktop environments are GNOME, KDE, XFCE and LXDE. While Kubuntu and Xubuntu are considered official derivatives of Ubuntu, Lubuntu is not. Why is that so?
Update: Lubuntu has gained ...

After a long time of enjoying the bliss of ignorance I've been reading up a bit on the developments in the land of desktop environments.
One thing I didn't find was whether there will still be (a need ...

I want to install MATE desktop only, without applications.
I already have apps from GNOME 3 - nautilus, file-roller, gedit. But when I sudo apt-get install mate-core, it asks to install caja, pluma, ...

I've been experimenting with various Desktop Environments, including LXDE, XFCE, KDE.
I'm returning to Unity, and I would like my login screen back to the default for 12.04. I think that it changed ...

Refer to my title, is it possible to do that? Let say im on Unity with running VPS on Virtual Box, but i want to switch to Gnome without shutdown my VPS and run back on Gnome. Is it possible?
Please ...